And he’s hoping the start of the FA Cup campaign against lower league opposition might tempt Van Gaal to throw him back into the first team.

Pereira told MUTV : “I think I need some match rhythm so it’s good to play with the Under-21s.

“It’s a good level so it’s useful to play here tonight and hopefully I can get more minutes.

“The level of the first team is a bit higher, of course, but both are high intensity so it’s good to play here. Hopefully, I can show the manager with my sharpness and the goals that I can maybe play on Saturday.

"Last year was a very big year for me but I am hoping this one can be a good year as well."